Pants on fire

Hooonnk!hoonk! The toiling of stacks that bellowed smoke out of the locomotive engine was yet comforting to hear.

'A sign that I would soon be there. A sign that I would be in the land of hopes and dreams. In the land that I would finally find him...'

I stood there leaning against the rail watching as the sun set below its horizon. The sky a strawberry yet milky hue of pink and they mixed so delicately with the blue waves. Such sights were few and far between. I could feel it. I was getting closer...

" Excuse me madam."

I was broken out of my reverie by the sight of a tall and handsome sailor boy. His white sailors suit was laced with the blue lines and tied around his neck was a white scarf. After taking in what was before me I glanced at his face and eyes. His freckled cheeks turned red and he started to massage his bronze hair.

"The Captain is asking that...haha...all passengers return to their cabins before sunset. "

I smiled at his cute little face. I stood up making sure that my ' accessories' weren't going unnoticed. I looked him in his hazel eyes and stepped closer.

Seeing his face blush even more made me smile. As he continued his nervous laughter.

" Aghh haha..M'lady I'm serious its captain's orders..."

" Oh really?" I leaned in closer and blew on his ears.

" but what are your orders sailor..."

Slam! " That's enough young lady"

Turning around. An old man quietly stepped across the deck towards me. His facial features were rough and wrinkled. His hands were calloused even in his old age. His outfit was white but a bright blue jacket was hung over his shoulders. It blew quietly in the wind. Making his entrance even more dramatic.

He soon arrived before my eyes. I gave him a questioning look. He merely gazed at me his eyes shut but I could feel them lingering as if he was judging me.

" Now thats no way to look at a precious flower Captain" He still did not back down but taped his cane lightly on the ground and turned around.

" Oh to be young and rebellious. We sailors have a saying when were nearing the end of our journey. Out at Dawn In at Dusk."

Curious to where this old man's anecdote was headed. I paused.

"Whats the meaning behind it if I may ask Captain?"

He continued walking away but his voice trailed off into the wind.

" Ohoho its just sailor superstition is all. But better to obey than end up adrift at sea..."

I couldn't help but twitch at his final words. I followed him inside. They boy I was messing with didnt waste time either and began rushing to tell the other stragglers.

I walked down the brightly lit hallways until I arrived at my room.

"13" looking at the door my facial expression changed and a quiet click echoed in the empty hallway.

Slowly opening the door I aimed at a single spot in my room. Under my covers. A human like mass wriggled under my covers.

" Now I do fancy a good time. But manners are a must stranger..."

The wriggling stopped. I circled around to the base of the bed. From below the white sheets a human head popped out.

His features were rather handsome in a unkempt way. His hair was a mess. His face was covered in dirt and cobwebs. His face however remained unfazed as he stared down the barrel of my weapon.

'Nothing?' I thought to myself and in my pondering; he gave me a slight smile in response revealing himself by flinging the sheets into the air.

With my mind momentarily distracted he began to make his escape. Realizing my error I quickly adjusted my aim. This time I wouldn't hesitate. He was done for.

Bang! The tink of my bullet ricocheting off of the wall and into the floor began to stir some unrest in the cabins nearby.

" Did you hear that?"

" Do you know what that sound was?"

" I heard running down the halls"

" Should we call the captain?"

" Cmon darling get under the covers and be quiet"

Looking at the walls around me I sighed and looked at my weapon. Stepping over the debris my mind began to wander.

" How did I miss? "

I then began to comb over his features. Wearing a torn suit and tie. He ran away barefoot. He was around 5'9 in stature and relatively young. Seemed to be younger than me...He had black hair and brown eyes that reeked of mischief.

Click..click..

" Hello?" Seeing some of the more curious passengers aboard alight from the chambers I decided to return my weapons into the breast of my coat.

I turned to the elderly couple that were the first to see what happened.

" Excuse me lass do you know what all that racket was about?"

I glanced at the two frail individuals standing tall waiting to see if they could help out and smiled.

" Just somethings falling over as the ship was rocking. I ran down the hall searching for something that had rolled away from me. Sorry for the distress Mr and Mrs Chin."

The couple looked at each other for a second as if questioning the plausibility of this story. They peered down the hallway towards my room and noticed that there were pieces of something wooden slowly drifting back and forth across the floor. They turned back to be and gave an accepting nod.

I bid them farewell and continued my night stroll. This steam vessel had a few floors. Right now I was on F1. This is where the first class passengers and elderly were supposed to live during voyages. The captain has a soft spot for those older than him. Wether that is possible or not. There seems to be evidence suggesting so.

I held the aluminum plated rail and stepped down the spiral staircase to the next floor.

'F2' This is where the majority of people would stay. Including crew members and other essential staff. The rooms were not as well catered too as the first class cabins but if you didn't mind a few critters every once in awhile then you'd be doing just fine. Except for the communal bathrooms.

Walking down the hallways I could hear sounds and screams that didn't seem to be of much pain. I didn't overstay my welcome.

It was worth noting that the stair case towards the next level were alot wider about the width of 4-5 people. I was nearing the bottom of this vessel and had yet to see any trace of him.

F3 was merely the restaurants, casinos , bars theatre and contained most of the onboard entertainment. I did a quick sweep of this floor and yet again found nothing.

F4 was the engine room that was split into two compartments. The first housed the ship's massive steam engines and the compartment adjacent to it held any luggage that was too large to be carried around or too valuable to be left in your cabin.

I stopped infront of the cross roads. Guest's weren't allowed in the engine room or the cargo hold during the voyage but I had a feeling that some didn't take kindly to those warnings.

I stared at the engine room door for a few seconds before turning to the cargo hold door and smiling. The sound of my heels clicked against the floor as I twisted the knob of a door that was supposed to be locked.

Stepping inside and locking the door behind me. I felt the backwall for a switch.

The room brightened up as the lazy incandescent bulb began to buzz as it swayed back and forth.

A shadowy figure raced back and forth across the room. With every dash it grew ever closer. I stared at the luggage my eyes slowly drifted back and forth as someone's fist suddenly filled my vision. I ducked down and aimed my guy at my assailant.

Standing before me with his back against the wall was the same young man from earlier. Not wasting anytime I stepped forward and began questioning.

"Why did you run?"

He gave me an empty smile and held his hands in the air.

" I don't know I always find myself running away when a stranger points their weapon at me. The bullets rarely want to cuddle with my fragile disposition"

'Nothing again'... I asked another question.

" Who are you?" In the moment my thoughts lapsed from where he was his hands had dropped

And were fiddling with the door as if trying to get it open. I fired a shot towards his mid region.

As I expected he skillfully dodged the bullet by falling to his knees and leaning his head away from the lock. He glanced to his left noticing the door lock was welded shut with an empty shell.

Seeing that I had no intention of letting him leave without a fight. He continued smiling and answered my question. But it seems that his funny way of talking wasn't temporary to say the least.

" Who Am I? Now thats a question I can answer with ease. The call me the Genie of the East. The beauty and the beast. But darling you may call me by my married name Pin. "

" So what's your maiden name?" It seemed I had to play along with his long winded replies if wanted to get anywhere.

He gleefully clapped his hands together as if praising a child for finding out the right answer.

" Good good. Now your asking the right questions. Unfortunately I do not know."

He put on an unapologetic frown. It was clear that

was wasting my time." What were you doing in my room?"

" Just trying to get a good evening's sleep I suppose. Nothing wrong with a little R&R after a long voyage. "

'still no signs of..'

Seeing my silence and occupied state of mind. He rocked back and forth on the tips of his toes and snapped me out of my train of thought.

" You seem to be in deep thought about me but im afraid the more you stare at a diamond the more its flaws will show. But have you noticed how much the ship is rocking? Must be a storm."

'The ship isn't rocking that heavily' as if causing me to eat my words the ship jolted left without warning causing me to stumble to the floor.

The light switch was flipped off and i was left in the darkness. Suddenly the clicking of a lock opening grasped my senses. I reached out and fired in the direction of the door.

"Ow!" Lightning flashed illuminating the dark hallway for a few seconds a small trail of blood was headed out the door whose locking mechanism had suddenly fallen apart..

" hmm could it be?"